At 0-3 on this six-game western swing, the Heat won't be coming home from a winning trip.
Now the issue becomes whether it will come home with a single win.
Thursday night delivered the latest dark moment in a season that is turning increasingly bleak, the result this time a 112-106 loss to the Trail Blazers at the Rose Garden.
Again slow on defense and shoddy at times on offense, the Heat fell behind by 15 early in the second quarter and trailed 56-42 at the intermission on the way to falling to an Eastern Conference-worst 4-14.
The bright spot? The Heat offered its best sustained run in the third quarter when it moved to a small lineup that featured power forward Udonis Haslem at center, flanked by Dwyane Wade, Ricky Davis, Jason Williams and Daequan Cook.
That helped the Heat close within 77-73 entering the fourth quarter, after Portland had pushed its lead to 16 early in the third.
It also spoke volumes of how the Heat has struggled to make it work this season with a power game featuring Shaquille O'Neal.
O'Neal then re-entered with the Heat within 86-81, before quickly drawing his fifth foul -- and a return trip to the bench.
From there, two Wade baskets drew the Heat within 88-87 with 5:59 to play.
But a Steve Blake 3-pointer and a jumper by center LaMarcus Aldridge provided the Blazers with enough breathing room to survive.
The capper was a fierce dunk by Blazers forward Travis Outlaw that had Wade and his teammates ducking for cover.
O'Neal was limited by the game's pace and his foul trouble to 22 minutes, closing with eight points on 3-of-9 shooting and 10 rebounds.
Wade, who hardly looked like a player recovered from last May's knee and shoulder surgeries, finished 9 of 26 from the field for 21 points.
Guard Brandon Roy paced the Blazers with 25 points.
For those who forget, Riley mocked the league for giving the defending champion Spurs an opening-night appetizer of the Blazers a year after the Heat was humbled by the Bulls on the night of its 2006 championship ceremony.
Thursday promptly turned into a case of be careful of what you wish for.
Even without sidelined No. 1 draft pick Greg Oden, the Blazers were able to toy with the Heat early, getting 14 first-half points from former University of Miami standout James Jones and forcing 10 first-half Heat turnovers.
It was Portland's highest-scoring first half of the season.
The Heat offense was particularly disturbing, with Wade all too often opting for the do-it-alone approach.
Riley tried to shake things up by opening with Dorell Wright at small forward.
Wright had started the first four games of the season before sliding so far down the rotation that he was held out of six ensuing games, including Monday's loss in Utah.
But with Penny Hardaway scoreless as the starter the previous two games, Wright was granted court time for only the third game since Nov. 13.
Riley joked before Thursday's game that he reserved the right to alter his lineup on a "twenty-four/seven" basis.
Wright had been inactive for two recent games with what the team listed as a sprained left wrist.
Riley's ire reached the point where he declined a mandatory interview for the TNT telecast between the first and second quarters.
Later, in the second period, he got into a tiff with Haslem during a timeout huddle, with Haslem storming off to sit alone at the end of the bench.
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